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Why does Okra get so SLIMY when cooked? | Food Unwrapped
Matt investigates why Okra gets so slimy when cooked and if there is any way to stop this from happening!
Food Unwrapped Season 7 Episode 3
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Our team of intrepid presenters (Jimmy Doherty, Kate Quilton, Matt Tebbutt, Helen Lawal, Andi Oliver, Amanda Byram and Briony May Williams) travel the world uncovering unusual, intriguing and surprising secrets behind the food we eat.
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Пікірлер: 308
Okra is a staple ingredient for Southern gumbo. It thickens it up, and is one of the few natural thickeners around. I can't imagine making it without any okra.
@razorransom1795
3 жыл бұрын
Well otherwise can use tomatillos, low flavor just like zuchinni in that retrospect, and also used as a natural sauce thickner.
@myrtlebeachpimp
3 жыл бұрын
@@razorransom1795 you can’t use tomatillo to make gumbo. Then it wouldn’t be gumbo. It’s called gumbo because the common word for okra in Africa is gumbo. Gumbo was a soup that was brought to America by slaves. Gumbo was a soup that they made back in Africa. Gumbo changed after it came here because the slaves in New Orleans learned French style cooking so that’s what makes soul food in new Orleans different from the rest of the south.
@razorransom1795
3 жыл бұрын
@@myrtlebeachpimp just giving an alternative with similar properties, sorry to offend. Okra is awesome in its own right, but was just saying that could maybe work too.😔
@badcaseofstripes
3 жыл бұрын
@@myrtlebeachpimp Pretty sure if you make gumbo with all the works and just add tomatillos it doesn't suddenly become a totally different dish that can't be called gumbo. People can use whatever they want and the culture around cooking gumbo for the last 100 years has been: use whatever's available to you. So nobody really cares about your semantics argument when there are always ways to personally improve upon traditional recipes and cater them to your individual preferences. That's the point of cooking
@austinholm-mcrae2777
3 жыл бұрын
@Glenn Draper Most thickeners are natural. Flour, Agar, various starches, and more. In fact, I can't think of any that are unnatural, and I've worked professionally in a few quite nice kitchens
i actually like texture contrast between the crunchy yet slimy okra LOL. I'm from Hong Kong and it's often stir-fried with other vegetables or meats and because it's not a water-based method, it doesn't get as slimy.
@porothashawarma2339
3 жыл бұрын
Hahaha exactly , thats why it tastes so good.
@vojacked305
3 жыл бұрын
One of the best vegetable dishes I've tasted. 😊
@Luxstar13
3 жыл бұрын
same. in malaysia it's quite staple in our culture. slimy and crunchy. usually served in curry.
@mrbrowz1000101
2 жыл бұрын
Do you eat squid and eel as well??
@mrbrowz1000101
2 жыл бұрын
Okra is super healthy too! I could bake it and eat it.
For those who don't like mucilage, just don't cut the okra. I take off only the tip of the cut, wash it well and sauté it with garlic, in olive oil or canola. It still contains the mucilage that is good for us, because it "wraps" sugars and thus reduces blood sugar spikes.
@s.p642
3 ай бұрын
Thanks for the tip! Stay away from canola and all seed oils! That's what clogs your arteries.
This might be one of the most useful episodes in everyday cooking.
@Birdylockso
2 жыл бұрын
Except many people do actually prefer it slimy though.
In Nigeria we just boil and season the okra to make it into a kind of soup/stew and we like the slime and it's been eaten like that forever. It might also be that we are used to it because we have other soups/stews that are slimy like okra, but okra is the most slimiest one. And it's not just us, a few other west African countries eat it like that.
@fatimashafiuadamu2970
3 жыл бұрын
Tell them
@chiphand
2 жыл бұрын
Adding shrimp would that be luxury?
I feel sliminess is what makes okra nice, like bitterness of coffee, sourness of lemon, and spiciness of chili.
@Daniel-ou4fb
3 жыл бұрын
Yes and such an extreme texture provides an opportunity to balance it with others like the crunchiness of fried batter or the softness of sushi rice.
@stefanos2620
3 жыл бұрын
You need help. I’m serious. Get help!
@og_bhaiyu
3 жыл бұрын
Not at all the case.
@downo
3 жыл бұрын
@@stefanos2620, lol ikr... that's just horrible
@Cindy99765
3 жыл бұрын
@@stefanos2620 Wait what? Where was the issue
As a Jamaican, okra is a staple. The sliminess is the best part 😋😋
@kinishamills
3 жыл бұрын
I'm Jamaica and I hate it with passion
@True2U08
3 жыл бұрын
@@kinishamills 🤣🤣 I'm taking your jamaican card from you!!!
@quelquun2018
2 жыл бұрын
Im Haitian but I like eating whole okra…no cutting
@scotty2tone
2 жыл бұрын
If you pickle okra, it's not slimy
@justinm16
Жыл бұрын
@@True2U08lmao
My Aunt down South would bread it in Corn Meal and pan fry it. That method makes it crunchy as fried potatoes.👍🏽
I love fried okra! My mom was from Eastern Texas, and apparently they eat a lot of it.
I like okra, whether it's slimy or not. Just boil me some nice and slimy and I'm happy, or fry me some that's not slimy at all and I'm happy. :)
@liansilverio8016
3 жыл бұрын
I love having it boiled eaten with rice and spicy shrimp paste on the side
Hairy, slimy, and phallic, let's call it lady fingers. Me: That's not lady fingers, that's a co..
@barnabydinosaurroadsafetyp3457
3 жыл бұрын
very tasteful thank you
@Armz69
3 жыл бұрын
Bahahahah
@quelquun2018
2 жыл бұрын
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
we recently moved to Bulgaria, and okra was a great discovery for me, it is amazing, just adore to add it into the soup
These big Okras are fibrous and slimy, however the smaller ones are much better and even though they are not as slimy as the big ones, it would be advisable to remove the end and deep fry them after washing them, once deep friend they would no longer produce any slime, then you cook it with tomato sauce, onion, garlic.
I went to North Carolina and found Southern food to be a wonderful surprise. Plus the people were so friendly.
@mistyblue526
Жыл бұрын
Thankyou!!!! Have a blessed day!
When he said the acid cuts the PH value I just had to laugh at the similarities 😂
In India we wash the okra, wipe them off and then dry roast them in a pan on low heat for about 5-7 mins till the edges get slightly browned. after that you can use even in soups and it wont get slimy. Roasting dries the mucilage.
In the Southern USA states it is pronounced, "Oak-Ra"... and usually breaded and pan fried... gets rid of the slimy and down to the yummy!
@gmcmaster1985
3 жыл бұрын
It’s usually pronounced that way in the uk too 🤣
@Zuludarkthirty
3 жыл бұрын
In Australia we pronounce it the way it's spelt..
@ted356
3 жыл бұрын
I prefer it pickled, but fried is good too. :)
@pagehuddleston6778
3 жыл бұрын
I love fried okra
@paladinhansen137
3 жыл бұрын
or pickled. I love pickled Okra.
In India we add just a spoon of curd( yogurt) it is lactic acid, now I understood science behind the delicious secret
In Nigeria we actually like it with the slime. "Ilaa"
If u lightly fry it in a tiny bit of oil, all in a single layer, before cooking it and let it cook on its own with onions and tomatoes without adding any water it doesn't get slimy either. Perfect every time.
@TrupthiBhambore
3 жыл бұрын
That is how we prepare it in southern India. The slimy texture is not so appetizing for many people..
Add lemon juice in the cooking process does the same trick.
@JangelNolasco
3 жыл бұрын
I was actually gonna say this, I’m from Dominican Republic and mom cuts it really thin and adds lemon and it’s not slimy at all.
@da1stamericus
3 жыл бұрын
@@JangelNolasco same. And Ola fellow DRnitano. Aha
@o0kaelas
3 жыл бұрын
its almost like, vinegar is an acid, and lemon juice is also an acid.
I love okra so much. I think more people should try it
Also cut up Okra, toss with salt & pepper, then air fry for about 10 to 15 minutes (based on your prefs), gets rid of the slime and makes them super crispy with a lot of flavor. It dehydrates them quite a bit but if you like them crispy its good. It looks like they might be burnt but the blackened okra skin doesn't taste charred, it just has a lot of flavor.
Mum is always right
Thank god I am an Indian. I feel our dish is the best.
Why would you boil okra?
Also in greece we marinade them with vinegar before cooking them!
I didn't know that people hated the sliminess. It's the best part for me lol
@davidthedeaf
Ай бұрын
Ew
I love ordering okra at Indian restaurants. I forget the exact name of the dish, but it makes my tummy very happy 😋
Natural fermentation with salt makes okra both darn tasty and non slimy. Lacto fermentation is the bomb! 🌼
In some parts of India, we use the juice of tamarind to remove the slime.. the tartaric acid in tamarind acts similar to the acetic acid in vinegar...
Cooked right and it's good even slimey
Southern way...okra and stewed tomatoes over rice. Lemon, bay leaf, salt and pepper, touch of hot sauce! Oh, and cornbread!
@jackholmes225
3 жыл бұрын
Southern?
@TheFULLMETALCHEF
3 жыл бұрын
@@jackholmes225 yes, recipes going back to pre-Revolutionary days.
@jackholmes225
3 жыл бұрын
@@TheFULLMETALCHEF sorry, i was asking southern where? Cyprus?
@TheFULLMETALCHEF
3 жыл бұрын
@@jackholmes225 Southern USA. Okra was brought from Africa and made it into classical Southern cuisine. Very important to Cajun and Creole recipes.
@ted356
3 жыл бұрын
@@TheFULLMETALCHEF Its "soul food" that is like turnip greens....all southerners are required to eat some. 👍😀
Go search for KURKURI BHINDI a different recipe to make okra crispy
@mithooladley
3 жыл бұрын
Arre wah Bharatiya aa gaye
yay another video in Cyprus, my homeland🇨🇾 and i looooove my giagia’s (grandma) pambia giahni, (the dish the chef made)
@johnkean6852
3 жыл бұрын
I'm in Cyprus are you in Australia or UK 🤔
Thanks for the great tips of vinegar and salt and some naturally acidic foods to reduce the “slime” factor. I’ll try this the next time I make gumbo. Greetings from Maine.
okra stew is one of my favorites
Try eating fresh raw okra,it's not slimy but sweet, crunchy and tasty by itself with nothing added. Fresh raw corn on the cob is the same way!😋
btw this got filmed 2017 is season 12 episode 3 or 4 that why nobody got mask most of the episode shown here are older episode
@xploration1437
3 жыл бұрын
Nobody cares.
Just fry your okra without closing the lid and don't add water. However, if you want to anything with a thick liquid consistency, like soups or curries, use the okra's sliminess as a thickening agent. North Indian dishes have fried dry okra, meanwhile the classic South India dish Sambar which you have with dosa, is excellent when you add okra in it.
It is amusing seeing Brits' reaction to Okra. The slime is part of the fun.
@kiranpatel6521
Жыл бұрын
What you on about? It's common here. Here I make okra/bindi/ladyfinger curry, I don't mix it hard and once ot cools it's fine. Then reheat as no slime!
I LOVE okra. The other day we made a bunch of okra and had some leftover juice with a few pieces.. I added a bunch of salt and pepper and drank the slime.. It was like nature came in my mouth with salty and peppery loveliness!
@lasergabe
3 жыл бұрын
Hmmmm
From what I've heard in Japan they like slimy okra. Definitely an acquired taste.
That's something! We also eat it in our part of the world but in a different way. That's the beauty of it. One ingredient but many ways of cooking it.
@LY43537
2 жыл бұрын
How do you eat it?
1:30 🤣 *crickets screeching*
Okra is use to thicken curry gravy in my country.
To cook it without soaking just make sure it’s dry ie no contact with water while cooking... best way to do it is wash and dry them before cutting.. add oil and necessary spices and fry them then you can add other ingredients
@3:00 "this dish is pretty mediocre-okra "🔥🤣!!!!!
I also heard that by reducing the number of times you cut the okra the slime is reduced. I only cut the back of it very close to the stem. Also i dont overcook it.
I’ve never tried that. I usually steam the okra pods whole, hold the stem, dip a pod in a sauce, and bite off the pod. Still slimy but less so than usual. Must see if the salt and vinegar really works for me.
The same tricks (vinegar and salt soak, and cooking with tomatoes) are used in southern US cooking; the okra was presumably brought by African slaves, who combined it with the tomatoes native to the Americas. It's interesting to see essentially the same preparation is traditional to Cyprus.
We call it Oh-Kruh on the other side of the pond heh. I love its slimy texture tho and use okra as a bit of a base for sauces or in place of eggs or mayo in mashed tatoes (it makes the tatoes creamier) or other things. With somethin like flour or potatoes or rice to soak up some of that slime tho, the stuff is delish. But I love slimy textures in foods anyway heh
@gmcmaster1985
3 жыл бұрын
We call it that in England too, think he’s saying it like that for a bet 🤣
We Indians use Tamarind . Alternatively saute it
Fascinating. I love okra (have only had it deep fried), but that subtle sliminess has always been the one thing I disliked about it. Glad to know there's a way to beat it now.
In India there is a way in which you can cook they turn crunchy rather than slimy . That thing tastes delicious with roti .
"Medi-okra" 😂
well fancy that, who’d have ever thought okra is a “mediterranean” food. With all the marketing buzz around the “mediterranean diet” in America these days targeting “health foodies”, okra still seems to get short shrift. Too funny. I’ve always thought of it purely as a southern U.S. food and had no idea that it was grown elsewhere. Yay for educationals!
For a Jamaican trying to take the slime out of okra would be a carnal sin 🤣🤣🤣 it's the only reason we have it actually, most people think men will be better in bed if you eat it. 😎
What kind of vinegar should you use?
flash boiling, minimize sliminess.
I thought that it was so sweet when he said he didn't learn that secret at University.
incredible tip, can't wait to give it a go
@quelquun2018
2 жыл бұрын
How did you like it
My favorite thing in the whole world is dipping raw okra into homemade piping hot teriyaki sauce.
Tender okra doesn't require much cooking, if they're kept whole and doesn't burst during cooking they're usually not slimy
I love Okra, it's so yummy.
Didn't know Okra is also known as lady's fingers lol WHY
@nicorivera25
3 жыл бұрын
More like bird’s claws to me
@asparadog
3 жыл бұрын
Finger shaped and slimy if not handled properly.
I've never had Ocra, but now I'm ready for it XD
Pretty cool. I'm a cook and know everything= never heard of that either. Would also be a thought to maybe de-seed it, as I don't find the seeds particularly appealing anyways, a lot of Jalapeno's.
My Indian mother wash and clean woth cotton cloth thoroughly and not leaving on any water on the skin, then cut em nicely and saute it with onion and tomato and half a spoon of lemon juice ( optional) with or without it you would never get any slime. But the trick is you dont leave any water on skin or let it dry nicely before cutting process.
I am so grateful for this show. I have learned so much. Please continue !!!!
Cook with anything acidic like tomatoes and the slime goes away.
@Cindy99765
3 жыл бұрын
A lot of Nigerian dishes boil okra into soups and add diced tomatoes. But the soups are still slimey.
Come on now go on get that cajun food in you
There are some nutritional benefits of okra to make such cooking tips handy to help make eating it easier for those who don’t like slime and don’t want fried
I stir fry pat dried and cut okra with minimum oil for two minutes then add seasonings , fresh herbs,salt, onions then cover it and cook on low heat for five minutes checking stirring in between.
Gumbo thickened two ways: Okra (gumbo is the African word for okra), used with chicken/sausage or seafood and a Roux to make Creole gumbo that has no okra and is usually only make with seafood. In SE Louisiana we eat it in gumbo or boiled, or fried, or smothered with onions and tomato, and even on top of a pot of fresh field peas AKA cow peas. The slime is unique and part of the variety of life; embrace the slime!
Aaahh, this makes me very happy! Definitely going to buy Okra again now! 😊👍
Boil it properly then dip it either in a vinegar mixture sauce or shrimp paste. Yummy!!!
Search "bhindi fry" and you will never dislike okra again....
if you don't like it's slimyness then try cooking it the indian way. we make it in two ways and both are not slimy at all. we cook veggies to eat them with capati that's why our cooked veggies contains little more spices so that it balances the flavour when ate with daal, chapati and rice.
In India okra is a staple (for some cuisine) when in season. We use dry unripe mango powder. Go to any Indian store and ask for amchur.
I eat it twenty years ago in Egypt, I haven't missed it.
Dammit, now I want some Okra. :(
Never had okra that is not slimy before, definitely going to try this hack.
Awesome!!!
Love okra also frozen okra has more slime
In Indian bhindi masala recipes I’ve tried, it's stir fried first until it browns in spots then cooked in a gravy and it's not slimy. In Japan however most people prefer it sliced and served over rice deliberately slimy, like natto beans. I like both.
@baishalideb5565
3 жыл бұрын
wrong ...i m an india ...a bengali...and we love okra with slime ...we steam ...we stew...dont speak for all indians ...india is diverse.
@ibec69
3 жыл бұрын
@@baishalideb5565 thank you for the input. You’re right, I should change that statement to make it sound less generalised.
I always have this issue with canned okra, going to have to try this
That’s why you should flour and fry it. Most are deep fried but the best way is to pan fry it in left over chicken grease until surface is crispy. The four should have salt, pepper and your choice of spice. Corn mill can be used but but in my opinion not as good.
In stews & gumbos---which I love---that "slime" is considered an essential thickening agent, but just braised okra by itself?!? I'll pass...🤢 I too am weird about texture.
I love okra!!!!! I love it!!!!! Oh the sliminess is like nopales (cactus) I love it
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for sharing your family secret with us. 😊👍
In India, we deep fry it with spices and I've never called it slimy in my life. Heart choker maybe
@dhruv1422
3 жыл бұрын
Don't call bhindi masala heart choker 😭😂
Okra with meat cooking. Delicious. People in Brazil love okra, called quiabo.
Will definitely try the vinegar +salt hack the next time I'm preparing okra the slimminess🤮
This I have to try!
I love okra!
In India 🇮🇳 we pan fry them and then on other stove we had onions tomatoes oil and then okras, they don’t look slimy to me
How do you get that thing that slimy? I never had any that was this slimy
Actually I love the slimy texture of Okra. The more slime the better.
The taste is excellent and the poops feel fluffy.
@1ong1ashes
3 жыл бұрын
???
@jeil5676
3 жыл бұрын
@@1ong1ashes Is it only me? Whenever I eat okra, it just flies right out.